According to Bellator president Scott Coker, Nemkov solidified his spot as the best 205-pound talent with his dominant title defense against Yoel Romero in the Bellator 297 headliner on Friday night in Chicago.
“Nemkov to me is the best 205-pounder on the planet in any MMA league, including better than the UFC 205-ers,” Coker said at the Bellator 297 post-fight press conference.
“I think what you saw [at Bellator 297] was his speed, agility, his combinations. He can kick, he can punch, he can take you down, he can defend. He can do it all. I think that’s what you saw tonight.”
Romero, a former middleweight title challenger in the UFC, absorbed a lot of damage from Nemkov over the course of the five-round fight. Other than a late takedown and some attempts to lull Nemkov to sleep with a drunken master style, Romero struggled to author any moments of note. That, Coker says, is a testament to Nemkov’s talent.
“Yoel Romero is a scary guy,” Coker said. “If he punches you or gets on top of you, you’re gonna be in trouble. I think what you saw is the skill level of Nemkov. It’s impressive. The guy is really, really good.”
After his latest victory, Nemkov hinted that a move to heavyweight could be in the cards. However, Coker pointed out that a third bout between the champ and grand prix foe Corey Anderson might be worth exploring down the road. Anderson kept himself relevant in the title discussion with a split-decision triumph over Phil Davis in another featured bout at Bellator 297. Nemkov earned a unanimous decision over Anderson in the finals of the bracket at Bellator 288 after their first bout — which Anderson appeared to be winning — was ruled a no contest due to an accidental clash of heads.
“I know Corey wants to get a shot at him,” Coker said. “Think about that first fight, Corey was on his way to win that fight … They stopped it and it didn’t work out for him. The second fight didn’t work out. I think that Nemkov studied a lot of film on Corey and made a lot of adjustments. Does it deserve a rubber match? I think it does. But when and where, we’ll see.”